CONSOLIDATING GUARANTOR AND NON-GUARANTOR FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Details) - Summary of consolidated balance sheets (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	$ 178,130	$ 209,654	$ 243,029	$ 169,802
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	256,215	239,857
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments	109,828	70,777
Inventories, net	230,120	257,868
Prepaid and other current assets	48,903	47,472
Assets of discontinued operations	1,214	587
Total Current Assets	824,410	826,215
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	353,593	356,879
GOODWILL	357,730	358,372	357,888
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	221,391	230,473
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	0	0
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	0	0
OTHER ASSETS	28,580	31,317
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	3,075	2,936
Total Assets	1,788,779	1,806,192	1,865,254
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	10,768	17,703
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	270,353	252,041
Liabilities of discontinued operations	3,288	3,639
Total Current Liabilities	284,409	273,383
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	678,487	681,907
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	0	0
OTHER LIABILITIES	170,675	193,107
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	4,744	3,643
Total Liabilities	1,138,315	1,152,040
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	650,464	654,152	651,908	710,715
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	1,788,779	1,806,192
Parent Company [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	68,994	125,093	178,448	74,600
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	0	0
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	(712)	(851)
Assets of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Assets	68,282	124,242
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	972	1,224
GOODWILL	0	0
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	0	0
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	547,903	508,984
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	2,217,864	2,143,427
OTHER ASSETS	45,968	49,718
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Assets	2,880,989	2,827,595
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	1,000	1,625
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	41,121	44,649
Liabilities of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Liabilities	42,121	46,274
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	656,852	655,023
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	20,607	0
OTHER LIABILITIES	65,455	68,827
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Liabilities	785,035	770,124
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,095,954	2,057,471
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,880,989	2,827,595
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	25,343	34,782	15,164	57,113
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	213,506	187,487
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments	109,683	69,216
Inventories, net	173,406	194,618
Prepaid and other current assets	21,854	23,929
Assets of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Assets	543,792	510,032
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	248,973	244,261
GOODWILL	288,146	288,147
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	160,349	164,633
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	911,632	648,347
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	533,742	528,411
OTHER ASSETS	50,423	60,609
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Assets	2,737,057	2,444,440
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	1,079	1,032
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	182,765	167,230
Liabilities of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Liabilities	183,844	168,262
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	9,006	9,782
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	796,741	558,905
OTHER LIABILITIES	153,970	183,989
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Liabilities	1,143,561	920,938
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	1,593,496	1,523,502
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	2,737,057	2,444,440
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	83,793	49,779	49,417	38,089
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	76,241	81,274
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments	145	1,561
Inventories, net	56,723	63,203
Prepaid and other current assets	17,330	21,968
Assets of discontinued operations	1,214	587
Total Current Assets	235,446	218,372
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	103,648	111,394
GOODWILL	69,584	70,225
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	61,042	65,840
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	573,269	542,025
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	2,718,956	2,650,078
OTHER ASSETS	7,423	8,188
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	3,075	2,936
Total Assets	3,772,443	3,669,058
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	8,689	15,046
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	70,427	66,640
Liabilities of discontinued operations	3,288	3,639
Total Current Liabilities	82,404	85,325
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	12,629	17,102
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	1,188,017	1,149,748
OTHER LIABILITIES	25,578	27,489
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	4,744	3,643
Total Liabilities	1,313,372	1,283,307
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	2,459,071	2,385,751
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	3,772,443	3,669,058
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and equivalents	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowances	(33,532)	(28,904)
Contract costs and recognized income not yet billed, net of progress payments	0	0
Inventories, net	(9)	47
Prepaid and other current assets	10,431	2,426
Assets of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Assets	(23,110)	(26,431)
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, net	0	0
GOODWILL	0	0
INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	0	0
INTERCOMPANY RECEIVABLE	(2,032,804)	(1,699,356)
EQUITY INVESTMENTS IN SUBSIDIARIES	(5,470,562)	(5,321,916)
OTHER ASSETS	(75,234)	(87,198)
ASSETS OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Assets	(7,601,710)	(7,134,901)
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Notes payable and current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(23,960)	(26,478)
Liabilities of discontinued operations	0	0
Total Current Liabilities	(23,960)	(26,478)
LONG-TERM DEBT, net of debt discounts	0	0
INTERCOMPANY PAYABLES	(2,005,365)	(1,708,653)
OTHER LIABILITIES	(74,328)	(87,198)
LIABILITIES OF DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	0	0
Total Liabilities	(2,103,653)	(1,822,329)
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY	(5,498,057)	(5,312,572)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity	$ (7,601,710)	$ (7,134,901)